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Emma Morin, Goodbye Swarm Lab!

Swarm Lab weeks 9 and 10


This is it. This is the end. My time working for the Swarm Lab has come to an end. I cannot believe 10 weeks have passed by so quickly. Where has the summer gone?! I'm moving straight from the lab on Friday to school on Monday, without so much as a break, so I am reasonably stressed out at the prospect of returning to the rigor of Peddie. At the lab, I work individually and go at my own pace, which is a very nice way to work. However, Peddie is the opposite, which is not a bad thing per se, it will just be a bit of an adjustment when I begin. The past two weeks in the lab have been wonderful, and the 10 vs. 1 experiments have progressed nicely. As I predicted, I will not be able to finish the 10 vs. 1 set, but I have set a good foundation for whoever will complete it. As I mentioned last time, there is a new girl in the lab, Shayna. At first, it took a little bit to get used to having another person in the lab with me. We would always bump into another, hog the tools, linger in the way for just too much time, but we soon got comfortable with one another and became friends, joking and laughing as we set up our respective experiments. We helped each other out and took the monotony out of running experiments. Both Dr. Garnier and Mr. Ray have expressed their disappointment that we will be unable to continue throughout the school year, and Mr. Ray told me that I would be welcome back to the lab if I ever wanted to do more research. On our final day, the 31st of August, Dr. Garnier and Mr. Ray took Shayna and I to the local bubble tea shop as a parting celebration. We talked about college and future aspirations and random funny stories. This may be my favorite memory. Dr. Garnier was always a figure who slightly frightened me, but seeing him drinking bubble tea and mimicking a fish frozen in ice completely erased that fear of him. Once we finished our drinks we walked back to campus. Dr. Garnier and Mr. Ray thanked us for our work in the lab once again, and I, having completed my work for the day, walked to the Light Rail station and began my commute home for the last time. I will be forever grateful to the Swarm Lab, NJIT's high school research program, and EXP for allowing me to participate in such an unforgettable experience. Having done research for an entire summer, I can now say with certainty that I want to pursue a career in a research field. My life will be forever impacted by this summer, and for that, I am extremely grateful.
I can't wait to share my work with everyone at Peddie on Science Night; it'll be a great "slime". Get it? Great time, great slime? I'll work on it for my presentation, alright? Bye!

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